Guided
by Herenya Brandybuck
Summary: A group of six people set out to destroy Soul Edge. Some have dark secrets, some humorous rivalries, and some a pair of starburst gauntlets...all have the same end in mind. But what will it take to get there?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The innkeeper suspiciously eyed the slight, twin scimitars that hung on the girl's belt as she bent over the counter to pay. She slid the lump of coins across the counter, then tossed him one more for a tip. He shrugged. He didn't care what weapons she brought into the inn, she had come and gone without any stir, and paid well to boot. Still, he examined her as she finished her drink and made to walk out onto the street. She was small built, and looked to be very young, not yet twenty. The hood or her cloak was pulled down low over her face, hiding her facial features save the black, focused eyes. She had obviously seen much travel, as her boots were well-worn and muddy. Her pack hung on her back comfortably, as if she had worn it for many miles.

She glanced back at the inn once more before walking out. The innkeeper shrugged again and went back to his cleaning.

Yunsung was looking out from the rail on the deck of the small boat he and his companions were sailing on. His companion Kilik was practicing forms with his staff when it slipped and clipped the unsuspecting Yunsung on the back of the head. "OW!" yelped Yunsung, and then with a look of rage on his face he turned angrily towards Kilik.

"Well, I'm sorry!" Kilik said in a tone that showed he really wasn't at all. "You shouldn't have been standing in my way!"

"In _your _way?" Yunsung bellowed. "I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when--"

"Your big butt was _in my way_!" Kilik reiterated, abandoning all hope of keeping peace.

Just then, Talim walked up, seemingly oblivious to the argument. "Do _I _have a big butt, Kilik?" She looked up at him with big, sparkling eyes.

Kilik didn't want to answer yes or no to this flirtatious little girl, and he didn't have to, because when he made to speak she had already turned her attention to Yunsung.

"Bend down. Let me see your head. Does it hurt? It looks kind of red--"

"It always looks like that, Talim! I've got red hair!" He roared, _not _in the mood to deal with her attention.

The entire party on the ship, which numbered nine in all, was on the deck at that time, though none of them even gave a second thought to the commotion. They had all grown used to arguments between the cocky Yunsung and the more peace-loving Kilik. The boys knew the importance of the mission they were on, but try as they might, they just couldn't bring themselves to get along.

It was surprising that they were the only ones that didn't cooperate out of the bunch. They were all of different nationalities, ages, and opinions, but other than Kilik and Yunsung, they pretty much left each other alone. They had all come together for one purpose: to eliminate The Inferno and destroy Soul Edge.

Raphael was the oldest, and in a way the leader of the mission. In his early thirties, he was more mature and experienced than everyone else, and he was also the most determined. He was from Rouen, France, and his refinement only added to his respectability.

Kilik, in his early twenties, was also mature in a way, but he had yet to shake the boyish confidence and pride that caused him to clash with Yunsung. Kilik was from China, and he was very reputed for his fighting ability all over Asia, causing a built-in reason for Yunsung to be envious.

Then there was Yunsung, from Korea. Eighteen and a well-trained fighter, he was extremely cocky and somewhat self-absorbed. He took pride in his fighting ability, though it never failed to upset him that Kilik's name was more well-known.

Much adoring of the two young men was Talim, hailing from Southeast Asia. At 15, she was a determined little flirt, and did everything in her power to make the two boys notice her. Though she would like them to believe she was a good fighter and could take care of herself, she was much dependent on those around her, especially Raphael, who had taken her under his wing.

The other female on the trip was the harsh, arrogant Ivy. She came from London, England, and she was thoroughly unpopular within the company. Her sole purpose for wanting to destroy Soul Edge was because the wielder of one of the Swords was Cervantes, her father. Her only thought was destroying him. The only reason she teamed up with everyone else was because she knew each one's worth in battle. She did, however, provide the company with a strong, independent female warrior.

The last of the company was Nightmare. Not much was known about this quiet, pensive, blonde-haired wielder of Soul Edge. He didn't socialize much, and when he did it was to tell some dark tale of the world long ago. He seemed to be ashamed of something constantly, and he had much to be ashamed of. The whole company knew his reputation, though they didn't speak of it at all.

Aside from this company, on the ship, the _Red Wing,_ there was the captain and two crew members they had hired to take them across the sea to the ends of the earth where their mission was to take place.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Later that night, who was on watch at about midnight but Kilik and Yunsung. Yunsung stared out into the sea as Kilik slept soundly beside him.

"What's that good-for-nothing lazy bum doing on watch with me?" Yunsung whined to himself as he stared at miles and miles of endless sea in the moonless dark. "What's the point of even being out here? Nothing interesting ever happens!"

At that moment, a shadowy shape appeared out of the darkness. Yunsung frantically poked at Kilik's ribs. The shape came closer. "Wake up, you lazy, good-for-nothing--"

"What! I'm up!" He sat up and blinked. "Is that a…"

"I think it's a ship. Just wait…"

"Well, of course it's a ship! What do you think it'd be, a wagon? Sure, just floating along in the sea--"

"_I get the point!" _Yunsung screamed, then peered out into the dark. "Whatever it is, it's big."

"Yunsung, I promise, it's a ship."

"All right, all right!" A pause. "Let's just wait and see."

Kilik just shook his head.

Pretty soon, the vessel was upon them. After a few minutes, the alarmed watchboys realized that the other ship was about to attack.

"_Pirates!_" Kilik yelled, then ran down to alert the other passengers. The _Red Wing_ was a small ship, but the other ship didn't look ready to ram, they looked ready to raid. The _Wing's_ crew was made up of some of the most powerful and formidable fighters in the world, so they stood more than a fair chance at repelling normal pirates.

Before long, the passengers were all up on the deck, weapons in hand. Just after they all got up to the deck, the pirates threw their grappling hooks over and hauled themselves on board.

A great melee broke out, rending the silent night with shouting and clashing of metal. Though the pirates numbered almost three times more than the _Wing's _crew, they were soon all dead, victims of the skilled fighters. All but one.

Near the stern of the ship, a lone hooded pirate knelt with the captain's dagger against his neck. He was already wounded in the head, and barely conscious, but still defiant.

The ever-merciful Raphael spotted the captain threatening to cut the captive's throat, and yelled out, "Don't kill him!"

The captain looked up, disappointed, and sheathed his dagger reluctantly as he walked away, letting the wounded pirate slump to the floor.

"Are you all right?" Raphael said as he knelt beside the pirate. He soon saw that he was not as he had slipped into unconsciousness. He threw back the hood of the pirate to reveal that the pirate was not a man, but a woman, and obviously the leader of the pirates, judging by the starburst emblem on her clothing that matched the one on the flag of her ship. He picked her up gently and carried her below to the captain's quarters where her wound would be taken care of. The captain looked at Raphael in bewilderment, then frustration, but his respect for Raphael as a fighter caused him to resign himself to sleeping with the crew.

The other passengers briefly noticed, but didn't make much of a big deal of it, and continued gathering the bodies and tossing them in Davy Jones' locker.

The rest of the night passed with no interruption, and the next morning, everyone began asking Raphael questions about the pirate. Why had he spared her, what if she killed them all in the night, and other questions, none of which he had the answer to.

After lunch, Raphael walked down to the captain's quarters to see if she was awake and would talk to him. To his surprise, she was up and making the bed. She jumped when he came in.

"You shouldn't be up. Your head--"

"I'm fine. Shouldn't that frighten you? Your mercy will be your undoing one of these days." Then she swooned, since she had been hit hard in the head the previous night. Raphael quickly helped her back into bed and for the first time he took a good look at the girl.

She was small, about five foot four, and looked to be about seventeen with long chestnut hair that was tied in a knot over her shoulder. She had focused, piercing black eyes and a thoughtful demeanor. She was dressed in a black shirt and pants, with a red vest bearing the same starburst symbol that was on the flag of the ship. Her pack and cloak hung on nails that jutted out by the bed, and her black boots rested on the floor. Her twin scimitars and gold gauntlets, both engraved with the starburst, lay just under the bed.

Raphael noticed she was obviously waiting for an explanation, so he spoke. "I saw him about to kill you and I thought maybe you could be our prisoner. There are many ways holding a pirate captive could be useful."

"So why am I not your prisoner?"

"I changed my mind. There is no malice in your eyes. I'm a pretty good judge of character, you know."

"And foolish." She nodded. "You got lucky this time. Fortunately for you, I mean no harm--"

"Then why on earth did you attack our ship?"

She took a breath, then decided to tell him her whole story. She was on her way to kill the self-same entity they sought to kill: the demon Inferno. Two years ago, a monster killed her father. She knew the monster wielded a weapon that had to do with that of the Inferno, but she didn't know exactly what she was trying to do. She was just following her heart. She wanted revenge on the monster that killed her father, but that was all she knew. She somehow felt…guided.

"And what do the pirates have to do with this?" Raphael asked.

She looked down as if she were ashamed of something. "I hired them to take me to the ends of the earth. Pirates were the only ones that would make such a journey, and they wouldn't ask questions as long as I promised to pay them well. They insisted on having their own way as far as attacking ships for loot along the way. So I went along with it as long as they would bear me to my destination. But…" she paused. "I knew they would prove troublesome in the end, that they would want to know what I was doing and maybe come with me out of some ulterior motive. I couldn't have that, so…I planned to kill them."

He was relieved to hear the shame in her voice, for it proved that he hadn't made a deadly mistake and that her heart really was good. But he was wondering one thing. "Why did you tell me of your mission that would have been safer kept secret?"

She smiled slightly. "I heard some of your people talking of your own mission last night after I woke up. I knew you were doing the same thing I was doing, so I felt I could trust you."

"Then I suppose you want to join us?"

"I hadn't thought of it. Will you have me, and more importantly, will the rest of your people have me? It may make traveling easier, having a group with me that has the same end in mind."

"You are welcome to join us. And by the way…I don't think I know your name."

"Oh! I'm Athena." She grinned. "I'm seventeen, and I'm from Australia, if you wanted to know."

"I'm Raphael," he said, then shook her hand. "I suppose you'll meet the rest of us later. But for now, I'll leave you to rest."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Later in the day, just before the passengers gathered for supper, Raphael came down to get Athena. "Most of the others aren't exactly in favor of your joining us," he explained as she pulled on her boots. "But they'll just have to live with it. I make the decisions, and we need another skilled fighter. Anyway, I'm sure most of them will change their minds once they've met you."

She looked at him skeptically. "Are you sure? I don't want to have to watch my back for daggers this whole trip."

"Oh, I can assure you that this group is not like that. They may not like it, but they will see it as mere inconvenience. Except…" He trailed off, and she raised an eyebrow. "Just watch out for Ivy. You'll meet her at supper. She wasn't opposed to you in the first place, but she's quick to name enemies. Just be wary of her, and you'll be safe."

She laughed, and they walked through the ship to the table where the rest of the group waited. Raphael went around the table introducing everyone.

At the head of the table was the captain, with two crew members on his right. Also on his right was a tall, proud woman with purple-white hair, whom Athena assumed to be Ivy. She ate in silence, glaring at anyone who looked her way. To the left of the captain were two young men, whom Raphael introduced as Kilik and Yunsung. The former had chocolate brown eyes and wavy brown hair, with a muscled build. The latter was smaller, with dyed-red hair and a cocky grin. Sitting in between the two was a petite girl with big eyes and a bubbly personality. Athena grimaced, because she figured this girl would get _annoying, _and they had only just met. Talim, as Raphael introduced her, barely even acknowledged the introduction, as she was prattling on about who knows what to the two uninterested young men sitting beside her.

Kilik pulled out the empty seat beside him and motioned for Athena to sit as Raphael introduced the last member of the team, who was sitting directly across from her. Nightmare, or Seigfried, as Raphael introduced him, was tall and big-built, with long blonde hair and sad eyes. He looked up as Raphael made the introductions, and when he saw Athena for the first time, a flicker of recognition, mixed with shock and remorse, came into his eyes. There was something familiar about him, though Athena couldn't place it. She tried to ignore it as Raphael sat at the end of the table, and Kilik started making light conversation while she ate.

After lunch, Raphael, Athena, and the captain went down to familiarize Athena with the details of the mission. Ivy, with eyes as sharp as her tongue, climbed up to the crow's nest and remained there the rest of the afternoon. Nightmare, as usual, spent his time gazing out into the sea, lost in his sad, mysterious thoughts. Talim flirtatiously tried to get Kilik and Yunsung to spar with her, but she gave up soon and retreated below deck, probably to pout. This left the two young men virtually alone, discussing the newcomer to the group.

"What do we know about her?" Kilik asked in hushed tones.

"She's hot."

"No way, man. I saw her first."

"No you didn't! I'm the one that saw the ship anyway! If it weren't for me, we'd all be dead!" Yunsung shook his head. "Don't even think about it. I got dibs."

Kilik shrugged. "Not if she has anything to do with it. There is _no way _she's gonna pass me up for you. You can just forget it. "

Yunsung flashed a cocky grin. "Uh-uh. You've got it backwards, man. I-"

"Well it doesn't matter anyway. I think she's into Nightmare," Kilik interrupted.

"So? That can be changed." Yunsung strutted across the deck. "What's that old monster got to offer anyway? I mean, when she could have _me…" _

Their little word-war didn't end until shortly before she, the captain, and Raphael came out of their meeting, and even then they only shut up because Talim, obviously recovered from their rejection, came up and started trying again.

As Athena made her way to the deck, she found herself thinking about Nightmare. He seemed so familiar, yet she didn't think she'd ever seen him before in her life. His sad eyes haunted her, and she wondered what painful secrets he was hoarding behind them. When she got up on the deck, she saw him gazing out into the ocean, saying not a word to anyone. She joined him at the rail in silence.

He looked over at her, and their eyes met. Suddenly his turned cold, and he looked away. She didn't quite know how to respond to this, but she began speaking softly. "Have we met somewhere before? You…look familiar."

His jaw clenched. "No."

She didn't miss the cold edge in his voice, but she also detected a hint of…was it regret? She saw the way he withdrew whenever he looked at her, as though she brought him pain somehow. Maybe she reminded him of someone? She cast one last look in his direction, then headed down below the deck.


End file.
